LAS VEGAS — The Winnipeg Jets are Canada’s team with a distinct American flavor.

Depending upon how you define an American player, there are either 10 or 11 Americans out of the 24 Jets who have played in these playoffs. USA TODAY Sports would call it 10 Americans, meaning that 41.7% of the roster is American.

“I would only say that comes out when there are international tournaments,” said Jets forward Andrew Copp, a Michigan native who played at the University of Michigan. “Nobody worries about how many Americans we have, it’s just there is a larger American side during the tournaments (for rooting purposes).”

Jets rookie Kyle Connor, another Michigan native who played at Michigan, said there is a lot of joking around when one country beats another like now when the world championships are going on in Denmark. Canada and the USA are both in the semifinals.

It's a core that has carried them to the Western Conference final against the Vegas Golden Knights, where they trail 2-1 heading into Friday's Game 4 in Las Vegas (8 p.m. ET, NBC).

If you count the birthplaces, there are 11 Americans on the Jets.

But the equation is as simple as that.

Tyler Myers was born in Houston, but moved to Calgary at age 10. He declared as a teenager that he was a Canadian player for international tournaments because that’s where he developed as a player.

Adam Lowry was born in St. Louis when his father, Dave, played for the Blues. However, he was raised in Calgary and played junior hockey in Canada.

Paul Stastny was born in Canada and is the son of Slovakian legend Peter Stastny. But he was raised in St. Louis and has represented the USA multiple times in international competition. His American status is unquestioned.

Of course, citizenship doesn't matter when the puck is dropped, but playing for one's country can influence a player's career.

Hellebuyck's stellar performance in leading the USA to a bronze medal at the 2015 world championships elevated his prospect status. He posted a 1.37 goals-against average and .948 save percentage in eight games. Team USA lost to Russia in the semifinals.

"We played the bronze medal game the next day against the Czechs and we got out to an early lead and then he won us the bronze medal," said Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Todd Richards, who was the head coach of that American team. "That game was in Prague. That was a difficult environment. He made some incredible saves."

Among the players in these playoffs, 29.6% were born in the United States.

And of the four remaining teams, the Jets are the runaway leader in Americans.

“I’m sure that the Jets aren’t trying to draft Americans – they’re just trying to take the best available player, and it’s just the way the cards played out,” said Connor, who was taken 17th overall in the 2015 draft.

And it’s not as if there is a style that's common among these players.

“I mean Kyle Connor and I play completely different games,” Copp said. “Trouba and Byfuglien are different. It’s not like we have specific way we play.”

He laughs. “We have a lot of college guys – maybe they like smart guys in the locker room,” he said.

Game 7: Washington Capitals left wing Andre Burakovsky (65) celebrates with defenseman John Carlson (74) after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period. Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports

Game 2: Vegas Golden Knights left wing Tomas Tatar (90), playing his first game since May 2, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal in a 3-1 victory against the Winnipeg Jets. Terrence Lee, USA TODAY Sports

Game 7: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tyler Myers (57) is congratulated by defenseman Ben Chiarot (7) after a goal during the first period of a 5-1 win over the Nashville Predators. Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports

Game 6: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury reaches for the puck before San Jose Sharks right wing Kevin Labanc can get to it. Fleury made 28 saves for his fourth shutout of the playoffs. Stan Szeto, USA TODAY Sports

Game 3: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and center Steven Stamkos lie on top of Boston Bruins center David Krejci while protecting the goal during the third period of Tampa's 4-1 win. Winslow Townson, USA TODAY Sports

Game 2: James Shaw Jr., the hero in the recent Waffle House shooting in Tennessee, sits in the stands after being introduced during the first period in the Nashville Predators' game against the Winnipeg Jets. Shelley Mays, The (Nashville) Tennessean

Game 1: Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) reacts after a goal by Winnipeg Jets center Paul Stastny (second from left) during the second period of a 4-1 loss. Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports

Game 1: Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (8) kneels on the ice after missing a shot on Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (30) in the first period of a 3-2 loss. Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports

Game 7: Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak (88) celebrates with defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) after scoring a goal during the third period of a 7-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Greg M. Cooper, USA TODAY Sports

Game 6: Colorado Avalanche goaltender Andrew Hammond, who dominated the Nashville Predators in Game 5, looked human in a 5-0 loss that sent Nashville to the second round. Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports

Game 5: Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog (92) celebrates after scoring a goal to tie the game during the third period of a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators. Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports

Game 4: Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov looks up after he's knocked to the ice in the third period. Kucherov earlier had knocked Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen out of the game with a hard hit. Bruce Bennett, Getty Images

Game 4: Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who named a Vezina Trophy finalist earlier in the day, makes one of his 30 saves in a 2-0 victory against the Minnesota Wild. Brad Rempel, USA TODAY Sports

Game 3: New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider, back, was named No. 2 star in a 5-2 victory against Tampa Bay Lightning. Getting his first start of the playoffs, he made 34 saves for his first win since Dec. 27. Ed Mulholland, USA TODAY Sports

Game 1: Nashville Predators forward Craig Smith (15) celebrates with Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg (9) after a goal during the second period of a 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports

Game 1: The Vegas Golden Knights celebrate with goalie Marc-Andre Fleury following their 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, their first playoff win in team history. Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports